Mirkwood's Icy King
by Mandy5
Summary: Legolas is a very young elf who has lived with his mother’s relitives in Mirkwood since he was a baby. But now that the only one left is passing over the sea, he must go live with his father in his palace. TWO NEW CHAPTERS POSTED ENTIRE STORY REVISED AND
1. A New Home

**Mirkwood's Icy King**

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A/N: This is AU. As someone told me, there has to be a reason for a character being AU, a different set of circumstances then in the original books. Here's the different circumstance: Legolas, rather then being raised by both his mother and father, has just come to live with his father for the first time. This means that Thranduil has had no real experience with children, and so he is confused by his behavior, and even a little nervous. This is normal for first-time parents. I am not trying to depict him as being genuinely mean, but he is a little short tempered.

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Summery: Legolas is a very young elf who has lived with his mother's relatives in Mirkwood since he was a baby. But now that the only one left is passing over the sea, he must go live with his father in his palace. And as if that weren't enough, the darkness of Mirkwood is spreading.

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Chapter 1:  
A New Home

"But uncle…" Legolas whimpered. "Why can't I come with you." The older elf looked at the small boy sadly.

"You are too young and have not lived in Middle Earth long enough to leave it. Believe me, you would want to come back very soon after you reached the undying lands." He explained, sitting down and pulling the elfling onto his lap.

"Will you want to come back?" He asked with a sniffle.

"No, I have heard the call of the Sea. I am ready to go home. You are not." He said, smoothing back the blonde hair. Legolas pouted. "And besides," He added, "It's about time you got to know your father." This didn't improve the boy's mood at all.

"Why didn't I meet him before?" He asked. His uncle sighed.

"Your mother and father didn't get along. She thinks he was too short-tempered and too obsessed with treasure." Unfortunately, his mother had died when he was only about two years old at the hands of orcs. He was now only five years old, and was being raised by his uncle.

"I don't want to live with him." Legolas whimpered.

"I know, but give him a chance. He's nowhere near as bad as your mother thought."

His uncle was gone. A messenger from the King had arrived and taken him to the magnificent cave that served as his palace. Legolas had expected it to be dark and gloomy, only to find out that it was light and cheerful. Skylights, covered with some clear material, were cut into the roof.

Legolas didn't actually see his father, the messenger saying that he was meeting someone and couldn't be disturbed. He was led him to a room that was to be his, and said that he would meet his father tomorrow. The young Prince cried himself to sleep that night, dreading the meeting the next morning.

_Legolas…_

"What? Who's there?"

_Legolas…_

He looked around into the pitch-blackness. Why wasn't there any moon or starlight?

_Legolas…_

"Who is it? What do you want?" A light shimmered in front of him. It started to spread out and form a figure of a person. It was tall and well built and after a moment it began to take on features.

_Legolas, little Prince of Mirkwood…_

The light flashed and then went out, leaving in its wake an intimidating figure. Blonde hair so much like his own stretched down a long, lean back, braided with the decorations of a warrior. Green cloak and leggings, and a silver tunic adorned the elf's body, but did not hid the muscles underneath.

_Little Prince of Mirkwood…_

Blue eyes so fierce and cold they made him shudder as they bore into his soul. Legolas immediately knew who this was. "…Father…?" He whispered.

_Legolas, little Prince of Mirkwood…_

This time the voice was deeper, richer. The eyes flashed and took on a disapproving look.

_Not a prince. Just a troublesome boy…_

Legolas gave a sob at these words and suddenly the figure was gone. A bright light consumed him.

Legolas almost fell out of bed when his dream ended in that final flash of blinding light. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up. A kindly looking she-elf smiled back at him.

"Good morning, Prince Legolas." She said. Legolas was pleased to find that she reminded him of his own mother, or at least what he could remember.

"Good morning." He said and smiled back.

"Did you have a bad dream, dear?" She asked, sitting beside him on the bed. Legolas wanted more then anything to tell her about it, but decided against it. Surely she would think him a coward to be afraid of his own father.

"No." He said finally. She really didn't look as though she believed him, but didn't push the question.

"King Thranduil wishes for you to come to his thrown room this morning." She said, getting up and walking towards a wardrobe against the wall.

"What- what does he want?" Legolas asked, trying not to sound nervous but failing miserably.

"I'm not sure, dear. But don't worry to much about it." She said and pulled a green and brown outfit from the wardrobe.

"Put this on. I will show you to the throne room when you are dressed." She said and turned to allow him some privacy, while searching for a comb on the dresser.

"Who are you?" He finally asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.

"My name is Aradwen." She said. When Legolas had finished dressing she sat him down on a chair and began to comb out his hair. She gave him two braids at either side and tied them together at the back.

"Now, we must go now. The king does not like to be kept waiting." She led him out.

Aradwen had, reluctantly, left him at the door to the throne room. He just stood there for a moment, too scared to knock just yet. Elves who passed by looked at him sympathetically, thought he didn't see them. He was thinking about the figure in his dream. Not a prince. Just a troublesome boy. That was what he had said. Legolas mentally berated himself. It was only a silly dream, right? Gathering up his courage, he knocked on the large wooden doors that led to the King's Throne Room.

"Enter." A deep voice from within said.

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A/N: Did some revisions, so that I didn't make Thranduil sound like a heartless monster. In this story, Legolas' parents didn't have the happiest marriage (yes, I KNOW that Tolkien never really said anything about that), and so Legolas' mother took him away out of spite. It happens in real life as well, sadly enough. Please drop me a review! 


	2. Tense Meeting

Chapter 2:  
Tense Meeting

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Legolas gulped, took a deep breath, and gave the door a push. It opened easily and he stepped inside. He jumped slightly when he heard the doors close again with an ominous rumble, but didn't turn around. He looked up into intense blue eyes that studied him from a throne up on a dais.

The young elf was shocked to realize that he was wearing the same clothes as in his dream, but with the addition of a wooden staff in his hand. He wondered if he had really seen him before. Leaves were woven into his hair, serving as a crown. The braids of a great elven warrior drew the hair nearest his face back.

The king cleared his throat impatiently, making Legolas blush as he realized he was staring. The Kings stare was cold, and he seemed impatient. Legolas hurried the rest of the way until he was standing in front of the dais. He was nervous, unsure of what he should be doing. Should be bow? He was king after all. Did a prince bow to his father? Not that he knew of. Should he say something? But what?

So he just stood stock-still and waited. Thankfully, the King seemed to at least approve of this. But he gave no smile or any kind of greeting what so ever.

"How well do you fight?" He asked, standing up and moving down towards his son. Legolas was startled, feeling increasingly tinier as he approached.

"I…uh…" Was all he could say. The king frowned.

"Have you even picked up a weapon before?" His features remained the same, businesslike and hard.

"Yes!" Legolas said indignantly. He shrank back as the fierce blue eyes glared at him.

"I see your uncle didn't even teach you respect." He said with a snort. "Have you ever used a bow?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No." Legolas said, deeply embarrassed.

"A sword?"

"No."

"Anything at all?" He said, exasperated.

"No." Legolas dropped his eyes to the ground.

"That brother of hers taught you nothing! How does he expect anyone to survive if they can't defend themselves, especially in these woods?" He seemed to be talking to himself.

"You can't talk about him like that!" Legolas momentarily forgot himself. How dare this heartless creature insult his uncle!

That cold stare caught him and he shivered. This was a father? He had offered no welcome of any kind, and did not bother to hide his disappointment upon hearing that he had had no weapons training. Legolas had thought that a father, or any parent for that matter, was supposed to be kind and loving. Why was this one so cold?

In that moment, Legolas decided that he didn't want to see any more of his father, and fled from the room. He heard the door swing shut behind him, but no following footsteps. Good. He would rather have Spiders eat him then live with him. He flew out of the gates as they opened for him. The guards shouted a warning at him, it was not safe in the forest by himself, but he ignored them.

He ran without thought into the forest, not bothering to look at where he was going. He didn't know where or to whom he was running to. He just knew he wanted to get away from there.

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A/N: Established that there is defiantly some animosity between Thranduil and his wife's family.


	3. Run Away

Chapter 3:  
Run Away

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Thranduil was confused, and he didn't like being so. What had he done? One moment he was questioning the young elf, and the next he had run out of the throne room like he had seen a monster. We'll let the boy cry himself out in his room, and he would speak to him later tonight. He planned on personally training him, beginning tomorrow.

Legolas, however, had not run to his room. He was now wandering away from the palace, having no clue where he was. When he finally stopped to think about what he was doing, he was completely lost and it was getting dark fast. He thought that he might have been traveling in circles, but that didn't help him.

Had his eyes not been filled with tears he would have seen the warning signs of danger. If he hadn't been sniffing constantly to clear his nose, he would have heard the soft hissing. But he didn't, until it was too late. Then he saw the almost invisible webs hanging off the trees, and heard the vicious hissing. When he did notice, he immediately regretted his earlier wish. He didn't want to get eaten by spiders. But there they were, hanging above him and getting closer.

Thranduil got up from the evening meal, noting, without surprise, that Legolas was not present. He left the main hall, nodding to those who wished him a good night. Making his way to the room given to Legolas, he came across Aradwen, the nurse he had ordered to watch after him. She stopped and bowed.

"Is Legolas asleep?" He asked.

"Legolas? I am not sure, my Lord. He has not returned to his room since this morning." She said, obviously confused. The King's eyes glanced sharply at the door to his room. It was open, and the room was vacant.

"He wouldn't have been foolish enough to…" He started, then striding quickly away. Aredwen was left behind to wonder. When he reached the gate, the guards snapped to attention. "Has Legolas left this way?" He asked quickly.

"Yes, my Lord. This morning." The guard answered.

"Has he returned?"

"No, my Lord."

Thranduil's eyes widened and he took off at a run to his own chambers. Once there he grabbed his quiver, bow, and knives, slinging them over his shoulder.

"Open!" He bellowed at the gate and it swung open magically. Without an explanation to the confused guards, he immediately picked up the light trail of his fleeing son and followed it at a swift run.

Legolas tried to turn around and run, but there where suddenly many other spiders to block his path. The one above him was getting dangerously close, so he did the only thing he could think of. He leapt over the spiders blocking his path. They weren't expecting this, but one of them managed to bite into his leg as it flew over their heads. Legolas gave a cry of pain as he felt the fangs sink into his leg.

He managed to keep his footing, but could not run very fast. The creatures behind him were gaining, quickly. He pushed himself for as long as he could, but soon collapsed on the ground. His leg had gone numb and the poison was quickly spreading with his heart pounding from the run. He yelled as loud as he could, hoping that someone would hear him.

Thranduil's legs carried him swiftly across the forest, faster then many others could hope to. Just when he was beginning to wonder if he was following the right trail, he heard a cry from up ahead. He recognized it as Legolas'. He ran even faster when he picked up the pain and panic in his voice.

"Legolas!" He yelled, his voice carrying over the trees.

"Help!" An answering call echoed.

Legolas felt the spiders overtake him as soon as he hit the ground. They nipped and bit at him, injecting more poison in an attempt to subdue their thrashing pray. Just when he thought that he was going to die, he heard a cry not his own.

"Legolas!" It called.

The young elf immediately recognized the voice.

"Ada!" He called back.

Then he saw a much larger spider, seemingly their leader, stalk over to him, its fangs snapping and coming ever closer to his neck. A sob escaped his throat, thinking his life was about the end. The last thing he heard before he passed out from the poison was a deep voice yelling "Legolas!"

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A/N: A few slight revisions, but nothing really big.


	4. Fight of the Warrior King

Chapter 4:  
Fight of the Warrior King

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Thranduil rushed into the clearing, slashing away at spider silk that hung in his way with one of his long knives. The first thing he registered was a pile of spiders that seemed to be busy struggling with something.

"Legolas!" He called. A choked cry was his only answer. With that, he lunged at the disgusting creatures that were just beginning to notice him. They shrank back. It wasn't the first time they had seen the King of Mirkwood, and it was never pleasant. A few of the dozen or so spiders simply crawled away, afraid. The rest he mercilessly hacked at with his knives. He had soon freed Legolas from the pile of spiders, but more came.

They poured out of the trees, hissing and gnashing their fangs at the two elves. There was no way he could fight that many off, he realized. Although the King of Mirkwood was no coward, he was also no fool. He couldn't stay and fight with an elfling laying on the ground unconscious.

Suddenly, arrows can flying from the trees and terrible shrieks were heard. Spiders began dropping from the trees with arrows embedded in them. A dozen heavily armed elves poured into the clearing.

"My Lord! Are you well?" Asked one. Thranduil nodded. "And the boy?" He asked, face full of concern.

"Not for long. He is badly hurt. Why are there so many?" The King asked, picking Legolas up and wrapping him in his cloak.

"It seems to be a nest, and one very close to the palace, my lord. What should we do?" He asked without stopping the barrage of arrows.

"A few shall come with me, and I will send a messenger back to call for more soldiers. I want this nest completely cleaned out. Leave no spider alive." He commanded, tucking the tiny form in his arms. He gave a pathetic whimper.

"What about you and the boy, my Lord?" He asked. Thranduil sighed. How he would love to stay here and take revenge on these foul creatures, but he had to first see to Legolas.

"I must get Legolas back." The archer nodded.

"I understand, my Lord."

Taking a few soldiers with him, he set off at a run with the small bundle in his arms. He knew that all of this jerking around couldn't be good for him, but there was no other way. He ran until they were a good distance from the nest and the sounds of battle had faded. He thanked the Valar that the guards had had enough foresight to send help when he had run out so quickly. Laying the still form on a clump of grass, he opened the cloak. He gasped. It was worst then he thought.

"You two!" He ordered to two nearby soldiers. "Return to the palace as fast as you can. One of you, tell a healer to take a horse and come as quickly as possible. The other will bring more troops to help clean out that nest!" They took off immediately.

"You!" He said. "Go find the Atheles plant!" He took off as well. "The rest of you will stand guard!" No one asked any questions.

He looked back at Legolas, who was trying to curl into ball, such was his pain. Thranduil forced him to lie flat and began to gently remove the shirt, trying not to disturb the wounds more.

"Get me water!" He barked and one of the soldiers immediately ran off to follow the order. About that time, one of the other soldiers returned with a great heap of Atheles in his pouch. He immediately gave it to the king. A stream wasn't too far away, so it did not take long for the water to arrive.

Tearing off a piece of his cloak from on the ground, he doused it in water and began to clean out the wounds. The boy cried out and shied away from the touch.  
"Hold him still!" He ordered the two soldiers beside him. They did so, cringing. Thranduil hated to do this, but the poison was quickly spreading. He needed to take care of the cuts now.

When he had cleaned out all the wounds on the top half of his body, the king searched for something to use as a bandage. One of the soldiers immediately offered his cloak. Taking it without a word, he tore it into strips and then began to chew on the Atheles. He then put it over the cuts on Legolas' body, once again making him cry out in pain, then bandaged them.

He finished his neck, head, and chest. Then he repeated the process on the lower part of his body. He found a particularly nasty cut on his leg, just above his ankle. His clothes were torn and ragged, so he didn't bother with putting them back on him. He merely rapped him in his own long green cloak. Only moments later he heard the pounding of horses hooves from the direction of the palace.

He turned just in time to see soldiers of horseback, bows and arrows strapped to their backs, burst into the clearing. They did not stop, however, having orders to go directly to the battle. Behind the soldiers rode the healer, going somewhat slower.

"Milord! Are you hurt?" He asked immediately.

"No. Check the boy." The King said shortly, allowing the healer to take the shivering form from his arms. Thranduil considered taking the horse and aiding in the fight taking place in the spider nest, but he knew that Legolas needed to get back to the castle as fast as possible.

The answer presented itself suddenly when another horse came charging towards them. It was Aradwen.

"My King! What has happened?" She asked, eyes full of concern as they fell on the young prince.

"It can be explained later. You are to return to the palace with the healer and see to my son's well being. I will take this horse." Without another word, he leapt upon the beast's back and rode off into battle. It was over by time he got there, or at least he thought so. The loathsome creatures lay dead all around them, but something bigger was coming. They could here loud hissing and stomping.

On the left, a wall of vines fell away suddenly to reveal a previously unknown cave. Just at the mouth was a spider over ten feet tall and twice as wide. Its hideous eyes observed the dead all around and became enraged to see those that she had spawned useless to her now. The soldiers immediately started shooting at it, but the thing took no heed of the darts. Seeing that a bow would be no use, King Thranduil drew his sword.

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A/N: More revisions. Thanks to all reviews who offered constructive criticism and just plain encouragement!


	5. The Road to Recovery

Chapter 5:  
The Road to Recovery

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"…should be…few weeks…recovered…" Legolas knew someone was speaking, but they weren't speaking to him. He couldn't pick up very many of their words, the rest of the speech seeming garbled and confused. He opened his eyes, but that alone caused pain to flare up in the back of his head and he could not stop a small cry from escaping his lips.

The talking immediately stopped and he felt a cool hand on his forehead. A face came into his blurred line of sight.

"…hurts…Legolas?…" Was all he could understand. The voice and the face were unfamiliar. What had happened? Why was he so hurt, since it was obvious from the pain that seemed to radiate from several points on his body? He tried to remember, but could not. He realized that the person must have asked him a question. He lacked the strength to answer it. The face withdrew only to be replaced by another. This one was more familiar. Why was his father here?

He felt frustrated that he could not remember anything. Legolas' fist clenched as he tried to recall something, anything that would give him a clue. His efforts proved futile, so he tried the only other option open to him.

"What….happen…." He forced the words with all the strength he had left. It still came out softly. He then forced his ears to catch the slow reply.

"You were attacked…spiders…." Thranduil's voice said. He felt a hand slip into his and he grasped it, seeking some comfort against the almost unbearable pain. In a flash, it came back to him. Running out of the throne room in desperation, becoming lost in the forest. With a visible shudder, the prince remembered those horrible creatures. He remembered them on top of him, their fangs as they bit into whatever they could find. The pain… Then he had heard a voice. The same voice that he had run away from.

His father had saved him. Exhausted, he quickly fell into unconsciousness.

Thranduil released the small hand when the grip went slack. Relieved that he had gone back to sleep, he rose from where he was sitting on the side of the bed.

"Can he be moved safely?" He asked the healer, who looked surprised by this question.

"Yes, my Lord. We would have to be extremely careful, though." He replied, hoping that he didn't want to do such a thing. This was the one place in the palace where the elfling could be looked after at all hours.

"Will he need anything else besides fresh bandages for his wounds?" Thranduil asked, watching his son's fair features twist into a troubled expression in the hold of a nightmare.

"A poultice will be put on his wounds to help them heal faster and prevent them from becoming infected. Also, pain relievers will keep him asleep most of the time. He will have to be fed broth and water until he can wake up enough to eat on his own." The healer hoped that these things would discourage whatever plan was forming in the Kings mind.

Thranduil nodded. "Have a cot brought to my chambers immediately, along with whatever else will be needed for him." With that, he stooped down and gently picked the sleeping elf up, wrapping the blanket around him.

"Your Highness, please. Allow us to care for him." But a cold glare from the king discouraged any further protest from the healer, and he went to do as he was told.

The King ignored those who stared at him, instead focusing on the precious bundle in his arms, walking slowly so as not to jar his wounds. He was not surprised when Aradwen showed up, falling into step beside him.

Guilt welled inside him. What had he done to cause Legolas to flee like that?

"My lord, what can I do to help?" She asked, eyes full of concern as they fell upon the elfling carefully wrapped in a bed sheet.

"Open my door." He said simply, stopping in front of his chambers. Aradwen did so, and he stepped inside. "Pull that blanket back." He ordered as he stood in front of the large bed, and once again she did so without question. He then laid the sleeping form on the soft mattress and pulled the blanket over him. When he was certain that Legolas was comfortable, he motioned for Aradwen to follow him as he stepped out of the room.

"What am I doing wrong?" He asked, surprising her.

"My lord?" She asked, confused.

"What did I do that made him run away like that? He walked right into a spider's nest without thinking." The King looked genuinely distressed, and that shocked the nurse. She had known Thranduil on a personal basis for quite some time, and he always seemed to have everything under control. The realization that even he could have times of insecurity was quite a revelation.

"Well, I don't know. Perhaps you could tell me exactly what happen during your meeting, as I wasn't there, my lord." She said, sounding quite ready to yell at him after the admission that it was his fault the prince was so badly injured. The King heard this quite clearly in her tone of voice, but said nothing about it.

Thranduil proceeded to tell her exactly what happen. Word for word.

"Would you be angry with me if were to be completely honest with you, my lord?" She asked, and Thranduil feared she would scream at him not matter what he said.

"Of course not. Tell me exactly what I did wrong." He said, almost pleadingly. He was determined to never make a mistake like that again.

"Everything." She said, her pretty face taking on a scowl of disapproval. The King blinked and took a step back, just to be safe…

"Define 'everything'." He said, and his normally powerful voice sounding small and insignificant in the presence of the enraged, and very maternal, she-elf.

"Well, first of all, you didn't even stop to think about Legolas' feelings! You insulted the only family he has had, up until now! He has lived with his uncle all his life and has never had to deal with being a prince and all that will be expected of him in the future! You didn't tell him that it was okay that he didn't know how you use a weapon at his age! He is only five years old! What do you expect him to know about fighting at that age! And did you speak to him like a father, instead of like a king who is talking to some foreigner? No! He is only a child! You should not act so cold with him! And on top of all that, when he arrived, you were too busy with some petty affair that could have waited to greet him! It would have at least made him feel more at home to know that his own father cared!" Aradwen ranted.

Thranduil shrank back slightly. He didn't feel very kingly at this moment. No, he felt like an elfling no older then Legolas, who had displeased his mother. It was very humbling. It also didn't help that she wasn't even making an attempt to hide this 'conversation' from other elves that passed by in the halls. They stared at the pair with open mouths, then quickly moved on, some of them trying to suppress laughter.

"The very first thing you need to do when he recovers is to help him settle in before you even consider setting tasks such as weapon's training to him! Do I make myself clear?" She froze suddenly, realizing that this last question was above her place to ask. That was most defiantly undermining the King's authority. She blushed.

Thranduil couldn't help but laugh at the look on her face. "Yes, mother." He said sarcastically, with a mock bow. "Or rather, my lady. Please, you're highness, tell me more!" He said with a wide smile. Aradwen's blush deepened.

"It would be helpful if you were more kind with the boy, my lord." She said, fidgeting slightly with the side of her dress.

"Helpful? Oh, but your majesty, I do not feel much like being helpful! What are you going to do about it?"

"You will be more kind, whether you want to or not! How do you expect to raise a child if they don't want you to be around!" Aradwen said demandingly.

Thranduil chuckled and grinned. "Oh, very well. If you insist," Then with a wicked smile, added "my lady."

"Yes, I do." She straightened, and walked away.

It didn't take long forthe servants toarrived with a cot and several other things. One brought a trey with two bowls, a cup, and pitcher of water. Another brought a separate tray with herbs and the like on it. Two brought more bandages then he thought it was possible to need on a single person. The healer, who had first seen Legolas, followed, not looking at all pleased with this new arrangement.

"My lord, I wish that you would allow me to look after him. That is my job." He said, but did not push it when he was ignored. "He will need to be fed two bowls of the broth three times a day. Try to get him to drink as often as you can. Change his bandages twice a day. I have written down how to make the poultice that will need to be put on his wounds, but by next week you will only have to replace the bandages. Would you like me to move him to the cot for you, my lord?" He asked when it was clear that the king was going to get his way, despite his wishes.

"No, the cot was for me." Thranduil stated simply. That surprised the healer. The cot was much smaller then the bed and it would surely be easy for the little elfling to be comfortable on it. He wasn't going to complain, however, of this selfless act. He was beginning to feel slightly better about the situation.

"If you are not sure about anything, please come and get me immediately. I will also come to check on him every couple of days." The healer was prepared to fight the king if he tried to tell him otherwise, but once all this was said, he went back to ignoring him. The healer sighed.

He sent one of the servants to fetch his chief advisor. When he arrived, the king was sitting on the side of the bed, carefully helping the semiconscious Legolas with his meal by holding his head up and pouring it into his mouth.

"You wanted to see me, my lord?" He asked, hiding his amusement at the picture he created.

"Yes. Anyone who wishes to see me, or any business that I need to attend to should be sent here." The king said, setting the bowl down and bringing the cup of water up to Legolas' lips.

"But, my lord, a healer can care for the prince. It would be best that you continue your duties as before." He said, amusement fading into annoyance at the disruption this would cause in his schedule.

"Do I make myself clear?" Thranduil growled.

"Yes, my lord." The advisor said with a sigh, and bowed before exiting.

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A/N: More revisions. I'm so tired of saying that.


	6. New Friends

Chapter 6:  
New Friends

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For the next few weeks, the matters and welfare of Mirkwood were discussed in the private chambers of King Thranduil, in the company of one very sick elfling. As much as his advisors begged and reasoned, he would not be moved. All visitors, councilors, envoys, and meals were brought to him in his chambers. The exasperated healer was in and out more then he really needed to be. He seemed determined to find something wrong and demand that Legolas be put back into his care. Thranduil tolerated these monotonous visits for the first two weeks, but then began locking his door and only letting him in once a day.

Otherwise, things proceeded with surprising ease. Thranduil kept at least one eye on his son at all times, and dropped whatever he was doing if he made the slightest noise.

Legolas was floating on a sea of mist. For the longest time—he wasn't even sure how long—all he heard, if anything, were inarticulate sounds. After what might have been seconds or years, he was beginning to recognize words in the otherwise meaningless babble.

"…borders…checked…spiders…" Mention of the spiders brought at terrible wave of fear upon him. Suddenly the mist was gone and all that surrounded him were hundreds and thousands of those horrible creatures. Their evil hisses filled his ears. Their dark forms drew closer and closer…

"Ada!" Legolas screamed, terrified. He sat up and then suddenly the spiders were gone. He found himself staring wide-eyed at a wall. Strong arms held his shivering body.

"Legolas?" A familiar voice said. He looked up into his fathers face, and then dissolved into a fit of sobbing, clinging onto the green tunic.

Thranduil was once again confused. Had he done something else wrong? But, no. He wasn't running away, or trying to. He quickly dismissed the border guard he had been talking to.

Rocking the elfling in his arms, he stroked Legolas' back and let him cry himself out. When he finally hiccuped to a stop, he gently lifted his chin and wiped the drops off his pink cheeks with a cloth sitting on the nightstand.

"Did you have a bad dream, Legolas?" He asked softly. Legolas nodded his head, sniffing slightly, looking up with those big brown eyes of his.

"T-there were spiders, a-a-and they were going to eat me." He stuttered, ending this statement with another sniff.

"Don't be afraid of the spiders. We got most of them. I won't let them get near you again." He promised, picking him up as he stood and going over to one of the large comfortable chairs by the fireplace. On the table next to it sat Thranduil's untouched dinner.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, sitting in the chair and arranging Legolas on his lap. He took a roll from the trey and offered to the elfling who seemed to be watering at the mouth. He didn't blame him after three weeks of living on broth and water alone. Even so, he took only a small experimental bite of the fluffy bread at first. Thranduil chuckled as the little ones eyes widened and practically dove into it. He seemed to like it.

And it was while Legolas was devouring the roll that the annoying healer entered. Thranduil sighed. He hadn't had time to lock the door back after the border guard had left.

"What is it this time?" He asked, not attempting to disguise his annoyance.

"Only checking on my patient, if you don't mind, my lord." The healer actually snapped. The King raised an eyebrow at him. It was so unlike the usually serene healer to get and attitude with anyone, especially anyone his superior.

"I see you have been under a lot of stress lately." Thranduil replied icily. The healer caught his tongue and blushed.

"I am sorry, my lord. It is just that Legolas, although the worst, was not the only one to return from the spiders lair with injuries for the past several weeks." He said, obviously worn out.

"Legolas is fine. His bandages have been changed twice today, and he is awake, appetite and all." Thranduil said, with amusement, as he saw Legolas eyeing the small bowl of fruit sitting on the trey.

"You, on the other hand, do not look fine. Tell one of the servants to bring another trey of food, and then get some sleep." The Kings expression brooked no argument.

By the time the second trey had arrived, not a crumb was left of the first one, and Legolas was still hungry. Thankfully, though, the cook had thought of this and the next load of food was twice as big as the first. Between the two of them, Legolas and Thranduil finished it off.

His belly full, Legolas easily dropped off into a peaceful sleep in his father's arms.

The next day, Legolas woke up sometime in the afternoon. His yawn immediately alerted the elves in the room.

"How are you feeling today, Legolas?" Asked an unfamiliar elf who sat across from his father.

He was definitely an older elf. On his dark hair rested a simple circlet of mithril. His sharp eyes were the color of a cloudless evening sky. Robes of a rich red draped his strong form.

"Fine…" He replied hesitantly.

"Elrond, are you sure it was safe to use your ring?" King Thranduil was asking, uneasy. As thankful as he was that his son was healed, he knew the dangers of using any of the rings of power, however good the purpose.

"Do not fear, Thranduil. Although I know not to use it lightly, I can cloak it from evil beings that might sense it when the need arises. I can no more stand to see such a youngling suffer from those evil creatures then I could my own sons." He answered. Then he turned and smiled at Legolas.

"Come over here, little one. I want you to meet my boys."

Legolas obeyed and was surprised that doing so didn't cause him any pain at all. He checked his arms and legs and found that the bandages had been taken off and the wounds were gone. Confused, but pleased, he completed his walk to the sitting area. Revealed to him in two other chairs that had been hidden from his view from the bed, were two elflings about his age. They both looked almost exactly the same, and were fidgeting with boredom.

"Legolas, this is Lord Elrond from Imladris." Thranduil said, patting his son on the back to bring him forward a little more.

"And these are my sons, Elladan and Elrohir." Lord Elrond said, indicating the two other children. They both flashed him twin smiles.

"Now, since you aren't hurt anymore and I doubt you would be interested in political matters, why don't the three of you go play. But if you want to go outside, only in gardens." Thranduil said.

The twins immediately jumped up and half led, half dragged Legolas with them as they bolted for the door. Their fathers' chuckles of amusement followed them out.

"Finally! I thought we would never get out!" Elladan said when they had closed the door behind them.

"So you're Legolas?" Elrohir asked. Legolas nodded.

"Well then, you can help us play a trick on Uncle Erestor!" Elladan giggled.

"Who's Erestor?" Legolas asked.

"He's our ada's advisor. He came with us, but went to his room instead of the boring meeting." Elrohir explained.

"What should we do to him?" Legolas asked, eyes twinkling with mischief as he easily thought of a hundred possibilities.

The twins both grinned.

"Well, you see…"

* * *

A/N: plays ominous music What do the children have in store for poor Erestor? How much trouble will they get in for it? And why am I asking you these questions? Who knows? Review!


	7. Tratior Among Us

Chapter 7:  
Traitors Among Us

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Arminas walked down the hall, his face not showing the extreme annoyance he was currently feeling. He had had a very long two weeks, meeting with all of the people that the King would not be bothered with. Or rather, the people his other advisors had deemed not important enough to bother him with. Despite the fact that the King himself had only said to send them all to him chambers, they still insisted on making HIM meet with them. He was the chief advisor, and what he said should have gone, at least in the Kings absence. They hadn't listened.

His brooding was interrupted by three very noisy elflings suddenly running past him. The first two, with dark hair, he did not recognize. The third was Legolas. It seemed the disruptive little brat was feeling better. He could have sworn that he was still in bed covered with bandages yesterday. King Thranduil had probably exaggerated on how bad his injuries had been.

The three little elves were followed shortly by a much older elf. He was covered in dirty water and pond scum. He caught a glimpse of his face and recognized him as one of the elves that had accompanied Lord Elrond. Erestor, wasn't that his name?

"Elladan! Elrohir! When I catch you and your little friend I am going to feed you all to a dragon!" Erestor threatened, quickly catching up to the three. Amused, Arminas discreetly followed them.

Erestor finally caught them just as they passed the door to the thrown room. He certainly was stronger they he looked. The elder elf easily picked up and carried the three squirming children off. He was so angry that he still didn't notice Arminas as he continued to follow them back. The door to what was presumably Erestor's chamber was slammed shut. He couldn't help himself. He put his ear to the door.

"Ow! Stop let me go! Ow!" It was Thranduil's brat. And from the sound of it, he was getting a spanking. Good! That oaf deserved that and more! He snickered and listened gleefully to the prince's shouts, soon followed by his crying. He wished he could get away with doing that, but Thranduil would never allow it.

Arminas, cheered considerably, abandoned his eves dropping as he began to hear the whole thing being repeated, except with one of the other elflings that had gotten caught. He could care less about them. And besides, he had somewhere to go.

If Legolas was out and about again, the King could take care of his own duties, and the other councilors could stuff their complaints in their ears. If they wanted to continue to give the King free time, they could take his duties themselves.

Wonderful. He had just ruined him mood once again. He silently cursed the King, his son, and his subjects. Well, they would be delt with soon enough.

As he exited the palace and walked through the forest, he imagined never having to deal with these trivial matters again. He would get the chance to when the Greenwood had been properly delt with. Yes, he could just imagine their faces when they saw the truth.

His thoughts were once again interrupted, but not by something as annoying as elflings. He had walked into a particularly dark shadow, but instead of passing, it seemed to follow him. Ah. Good.

"Master?" Arminas said into what had become complete darkness.

"Arminas, my slave. What have you to report?" A voice that would make others run away said. It dripped with darkness and evil. The elf didn't even flinch.

"It turns out Thranduil has a brat of his own. His name is Legolas, and the King is quite taken with him." He said, sneering at the memory. The darkness around him almost became a living thing, and then it suddenly rushed at him. Arminas felt himself squeezed painfully; his entire body felt like it would collapse in on itself at any moment. Then the next moment, he was no longer standing in the forest right outside the castle.

Arminas opened his eyes to find himself shackled hand and foot to his master's dark throne, lying on the floor at his master's feet. A hand reached down and grabbed him by his hair, pulled him painfully up until he was actually lying on his master's lap.

"Now," The dark being above him said, hands still pulled at his already tender scalp. That evil face looked down at him. "Tell me all that you have learned."

Arminas returned to the palace with a gigantic headache. His master had asked him so many questions that his head swam. All of them had had something to do with Legolas. It was clear that he was planning something.

Well, at least he didn't need to worry about that for now. All he wanted to do now was sleep for about a week. Let the fools take care of themselves for a while.

Thranduil, while overjoyed that his son was healed, could not spend the time he wanted with him. The danger that lurked within Mirkwood's trees was of more concern at the moment.

"How long has this been going on?" Elrond asked, brow creased in worry.

"This has been the situation for many years. I hadn't realized how much worst it was getting, until that spider's nest was… discovered so close to the caves." The King answered.

"Have you sent anyone to find out where it is coming from?"

"Yes, I sent an entire party out once. Only one of them returned."

"Who? What was his condition upon return?" Elrond asked, deeply disturbed with this new information.

"His name is Arminas. When he returned he was on foot. His horse had been killed, and he was badly wounded. The Valar alone know how he survived. To say the least, he was traumatized. Permanently, it was feared. However, he did bounce back rather quickly. He is now my chief advisor, since he is a very wise, but has not the heart to do battle any longer. I am afraid that it still haunts him, though." Thranduil said with a sigh. He remembered all to well exactly how he had looked. It had been months before he had actually come back, and even longer to help him recover.

"During the early part of his recovery he kept babbling about a tower and a terrible monster. That was the only thing that we could make sense of in his screaming. After he had recovered he became reserved and secretive, and even to this day he flinches if someone so much as touches him on the shoulder." He finished. Elrond considered this for a moment.

"Perhaps we should speak with him once again? It may help us." The lord suggested.

"We have tried to do so before. He says he remembers the party finding a tower, and a horrible monster emerging and killing all but him. Beyond that, he says he only remembers being found near the palace and being brought back. That is all he will say, and as you might expect, he becomes terribly upset whenever it is brought up." Elrond nodded, his brow creasing in thought.

"We shall have to think deeply on what is to be done. I believe we should ask Lord Celeborn to come to Mirkwood. His council will be very valuable in this matter." He concluded. The King looked surprised.

"The Lord of Lorien? Will he leave the Golden Wood? Mirkwood is very dangerous now. What if something were to happen to him?" He said, though he couldn't deny that he was right. Any input that the Lord of the Golden Wood had would certainly be valuable.

"Under heavy guard of course. Mirkwood is in such a state that you cannot leave it without a King for any length of time. You could not afford to go to Lorien yourself. He has his Lady to keep order if he must leave. I believe he will quickly agree to come. Entrust his safety to the Galadhrim, Thranduil. They are quite prepared to defend their Lord if it should come to that." Elrond said. The King nodded.

"Then we will send a letter immediately."

An evil laugh echoed through the halls of the tower.

"Yes, very good. Now Thranduil has a weakness, and even better, Elrond is here. The time to strike will be very soon."

The voice then quieted, leaving behind it a silence more oppressing then anything else.

* * *

A/N: Very minor revisions in this chapter.


	8. Unseen Enemy

Chapter 8:  
Unseen Enemy

* * *

After writing the letter to Lord Celeborn and sending it out to a messenger, Elrond and Thranduil decided to go see what mischief the three elflings had gotten into. They soon found out.

They were walking down the corridor of the guestrooms when they found them. A door opened and out walked the three children, sniffling and holding their bottoms painfully.

"What happened there?" Thranduil questioned.

"My boys have once again played a practical joke on Erestor. They must have dragged Legolas into it." Elrond replied with a sigh. He wondered how many punishments those two would have to go through before they learned.

"And now, the three of you are going to clean that slime off the floor!" Erestor emerged from the room after them, and marched them off towards another part of the palace.

"I think Erestor has everything under control." Elrond said with amusement. Thranduil had to laugh. It was amazing how well the advisor handled children, even though he had none of his own.

"I believe you are correct. Why don't we get some lunch?" The King suggested, and they headed towards the kitchen.

About half way there, though, they ran into an extremely tired looking Arminas. The way he had to stop and hold his head for a moment suggested a very bad headache. He stumbled often, and did not seem to be looking were he was going. He bumped right into Elrond.

"Arminas? What's wrong?" Thranduil asked, grabbing him by the shoulder to keep him from falling over. He immediately tried to flinch away from the contact, but wasn't strong enough at the moment.

"Nothing, My Lord. Only a headache." He replied, his muscles tense as he endured the King's touch. He didn't even notice the dark-haired elf beside him.

"No, it is not only a headache. You have been working too hard." He replied, frowning. What could he have done to put himself in such pain? He led him to his room and called for a healer.

"You must stay in bed for as long as you need. If all goes well, Lord Celeborn of Lorien will be coming here in a few weeks, and I will need all of my advisors when he does." Arminas heard him say, but at the moment, he was just glad that he wasn't on his feet any more.

The two lords left him a little while later, when the healer had given him some bitter tea and told him not to leave his bed. Now his mind was forced back to working. That part of him that he despised spoke up. The part that made him constantly miserable. Lord Celeborn may be visiting Mirkwood. He had to let his master know. Not now, he told himself, despite the pain that sliced through his head at denying his master anything, even temporarily. He wouldn't even be able to get out of the palace, he reasoned. He would pass out before he made it.

At another sharp pain, he finally gave into what his body wanted and passed out. The numbing darkness was the most peace he would ever get.

Elrond was not happy. Something was not right.

It was bad enough to hear about the situation with Mirkwood, but he somehow found that pushed to the back of his mind by Arminas. Something about that elf just felt…wrong. He had awakened senses of both sympathy and dread in the elven lord. It was unnerving.

He sat and brooded on that until an urgent knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. It was Erestor.

"Yes, what is the matter?" Elrond asked, seeing the frantic look on his adviser's face.

"Th- The children! Elladan and Elrohir are missing!" He stuttered, his eyes not hiding the beginning of panic.

* * *

A/N: …umm… review please! Oh, and sigh minor revisions.


	9. Missing

Chapter 9:  
Missing

* * *

"What!" He practically yelped, eyes widening and bursting out into the hall at a dead run. He rounded corners, tearing up the ground with Erestor on his heals. It was very late, and the boys should have been safely in bed. When he arrived at the room they shared, he could only stand at the door and look on the destruction of the room in shock.

Anything that could possibly be broken was completely destroyed. The wooden furniture was in splinters, covering the floor. The clothes that had been put in the drawers were strewn about the room, ripped without hope of repair. And blood.

It certainly wasn't enough for one of them to have had a fatal wound or to have bled to death, but it was there. Elrond couldn't breath. There were already several elves searching through the wreckage, trying to find some other clue.

Moments later, King Thranduil came running as well. He took one look at the room and gasped.

"Valar…what happened here?" He asked, his face white.

"T-they took…my sons…" Elrond managed. His mind was screaming at him to do something, but for a moment his body would not respond. A child's cry snapped him out of it and he looked down between him and the King. It was Legolas.

The poor elfling seemed to have assumed the worst and was clutching his ada's leggings, crying. That set them both in action.

"We must do something NOW!" Thranduil said, and scooped his son into his arms protectively. Legolas sobbed into his shirt.

"Send out a search party!" Elrond said, but then another call rose up.

"We found them!" Both elf lords were astonished for a moment so that they couldn't properly react.

"Where? How?" Elrond said, but he followed the guard as he swiftly led them to the front gate. Two heavily armed guards were holding them as they cried. They seemed to be afraid to move them too much.

Upon closer inspection Elrond felt hot anger rise in him. There were several bloody gashes on their arms and sides. Their clothes barely hung from them, and the night breeze was making them shiver despite the guards who tried to keep them warm.

Almost immediately they found themselves in their father's arms and being swiftly carried away. Their sobs died down to whimpers and they clung onto him. In no time at all, Elrond reached the set of guestrooms given to him. He barked at a servant to bring him towels and water.

Once inside, he placed his sons of the bed and began to calm them down. They reluctantly accepted being released and looked up at him with frightened, sad eyes.

"What happened?" Elrond asked, his tone soothing as he carefully pealed the ruined clothing off of their wounds.

"It was a monster!" Elrohir wailed, and Elrond shushed him gently before he upset his brother. At that moment, a servant entered nervously, bringing the things he had asked for. Elrond took them without a word, but made a note to apologize later for speaking so harshly to him.

Thranduil entered the room just as he finished cleaning and bandaging the last of their wounds. He had given them both some dream leaves (A/N: Made up plant on my part. I just don't know of any sleeping drugs.), so they should sleep for the entire night.

"Will you not use your ring? It hardly seems fair that you should heal my son and not your own." Thranduil said from beside him. Elrond peered up at him and smiled. He made quite a sight: the mighty King of Mirkwood with frizzes of hair sticking up from his head, tunic slightly wrinkled, and an elfling cradled in his arms.

"I would love nothing more." The elf lord replied wearily. "But if that thing got in the palace…" He trailed off, looking at the ring of power on his finger and shaking his head. "No, I will not risk it. Chances are that I will bring more danger on my sons and everyone here. Their injuries are minor compared to the ones your Legolas had. They will heal in a few days and will be back to terrorizing Erestor in no time."

"Let us hope that is not the case." A voice interrupted them, and they turned to see the dark-haired councilor standing near the door with a scowl. Elrond had to laugh.

"Why don't they terrorize you when they are up and about? It would be much more entertaining, at least for me. I doubt you could run as fast as me to catch them." Erestor said, but he grinned. Then he looked at the sleeping figures in the bed and he looked worried.

"Erestor, why don't you watch them for now. I must discuss something with Thranduil and see if we can't find how that thing got in the palace." Elrond said as he led the king out of the room. He peaked back in the door and smiled. Erestor had moved over to the bed and was sitting on the side of it. He pulled the blanket over the twins and watched them with a mixture of concern and deep thought. He should be a father.

Once out in the hall, they headed towards the king's chambers with a sleepy Legolas in tow. Once there, Thranduil tucked Legolas into his own bed and set guards both inside and outside the room. Then he ordered similar guards to be put with the twins in Lord Elrond's rooms.

"I don't understand. How did they get away from something that can enter a guarded palace without notice, literally tear the room to shreds, and then get out without attracting attention." Elrond said when they had made it back to the room in question. It was guarded and no one was going though the wreckage anymore, for fear that they might disturb some valuable evidence.

"Perhaps it let them go. Maybe it was a warning." Thranduil said grimly.

"Why send a warning? Why not just kill them?" Elrond said with a sigh. Although he was infinitely glad that they were alive, it still didn't make sense.

"I do not believe that any creature, no matter how evil, is above fear of the wrath of an enraged elf lord with a ring of power." The King pointed out. Elrond sighed.

"Let us hope that we can find the answer very soon." He said with a weary look.

He had thought that headache was painful. That was nothing compared to the agony he was feeling right now. His head felt as though it was splitting in half, his eyes burned from the light that was getting through his eyelids, he had long since dispelled the contents of his twisting stomach, and his limbs were practically screaming in pain.

Arminas had been rudely awakened after having passed out for only a few hours, to find that his master had actually come inside the palace. Or at least a very weak part of his spirit. Enough to subdue any attempts to ignore his commands that Arminas made.

His master had demanded his energy so that he could move those two elflings that had come with their father, Lord Elrond. It hadn't been physical. No, getting up and physically carrying them outside was out of the question. The guards would have seen him, and then the only agent his master had within the palace would be uncovered. So he had had to use the illusion of a monster, along with a very destructive force, to tear the room to pieces. Apparently some of the sharper pieces of debris had made some very nasty looking cuts on them as well. Then he had transported them outside, not too far away from the palace.

As planned, they had been immediately found and brought back to their father. And everyone was clueless. They had no idea what had happened. Despite the success of the plan, his master had still seen fit to make him pay for his attempted defiance. So now every nerve was on fire.

He still hadn't had the chance to tell him about the Lord of Lorien. He didn't dare let himself think that it was his master's fault. He hadn't exactly given him time to say anything. And then when he had tried to get up and go to him, he hadn't made it three feet from the bed before he had fallen over and dispelled the contents of his stomach. The healer had not been happy…

But all these thoughts were banished from his head as darkness descended on him again.

When Galadriel walked into her and her husband's bedroom, the first thing she saw was Celeborn bent over his desk. He wore a frown and he did not even notice her approach.

"From Mirkwood?" She asked softly, looking over his shoulder. The Lord jumped slightly.

"Yes, and it isn't good news. The shadows grow deeper, and he is struggling to keep them at bay." He said, putting down the letter with a sigh. "Elrond is there as well, and they would like me to go to Mirkwood myself."

"Is that such a bad thing? They certainly could use your council." She said, scanning the letter.

"I suppose not." Celeborn shook his head as if trying to clear it. "I do not like it. Something is amiss, but I don't know what it is."

"Then will you go?"

"Yes, I will go."

* * *

A/N: Well, this chapter didn't get any revisions. I really am glad that I have the time to go through this story and improve it! Review… you know the drill.


	10. Interlude: For the Whiners

Interlude:  
Mirkwood's Icy King: for the whiners

* * *

A/N: I know that a few of you are either very confused, or are glaring at the computer screen. Let me explain. I have gotten several reviews, and also several emails, complaining. I know that many people probably think I'm taking this too far, but it's getting on my nerves. There have been several people who are being extremely nasty about it. A few keep sending me long emails every single chapter. But when I first started this work of fiction, there were several polite reviews/emails that pointed this out, and I realized that the story should be labeled AU since it didn't go along with the books. But no matter how many times I said that it was AU and that Thranduil was OOC (and even after I CHANGED THE ENTIRE BEGINNING OF THE STORY!), there were still some very nasty emails. So, to end all of these stupid little verbal battles I've been pulled into, I have written this version to appease the whiners. To the people who actually like reading the story, I have posted the next chapter immediately after this.

* * *

"But uncle…" Legolas whimpered. "Why can't I come with you." The older elf looked at the small boy sadly.

"You are too young and have not lived in Middle Earth long enough to leave it. Believe me, you would want to come back very soon after you reached the undying lands." He explained, sitting down and pulling the small elf onto his lap.

"Will you want to come back?" He asked with a sniffle.

"No, I have served my time here. I am ready to go to the peace there. You are not." He said, smoothing back the blonde hair. Legolas pouted. "And besides," He added, "It's about time you got to know your father." This didn't improve the boy's mood at all.

"Why did mother not want me to in the first place?" He asked. His Uncle shrugged.

"I haven't a clue. I suppose it was personal. A fight they had or something." Legolas was confused.

His uncle was gone. A messenger from the King had arrived and taken him to the magnificent cave that served as his palace. Legolas had expected it to be dark and gloomy, only to find out that it was light and cheerful. The messenger left him at the door of the throne room to await the audience with his father.

Legolas wasn't sure how long it was until a small group of elves emerged from the door and left. The guard ushered him inside, and pointed towards the throne. The young elf walked forward uneasily, looking up at the tall figure that sat on the throne.

King Thranduil held in his hand a wooden staff. Leaves were woven into his hair, serving as a crown. The braids of a great elven warrior drew the hair nearest his face back. At his approach, the King smiled and laid the wooden staff aside.

"Hello my son." He greeted, standing up and stepping off the dais.

"H-hello." Legolas said shyly. Thranduil knelt down and gave the nervous elfling a brief hug.

"I am so glad you are finally staying with me."

And so Thranduil and Legolas lived in peace and happiness until the darkest days came, and Legolas was sent to Rivendell and the Council of Elrond.

THE END

* * *

A/N: Happy? And before you point it out: Yes, I am aware that I could possibly substitute this for the first couple chapters and it would still make some sense. But I am also aware that that would completely change the story. So before you say it, no I will not be changing it. All those who complain just because they don't like the story line will be pointed to this chapter. Again, thank you to all the reviewers who sent praise and constructive criticism! 


	11. Arrival

Chapter 10:  
Arrival

* * *

NOTE: _:This is mindspeech.:_

* * *

Two weeks later, Elladan and Elrohir had long since recovered. As expected, they were also back to terrorizing Erestor, or at least trying. Legolas discovered that it had been by pure luck that they had managed to dump that green pond water on him the last time. The councilor's reflexes rivaled the most seasoned warriors. The latest prank, trying to make Erestor walk through their trip wire that would in turn drop a breakable bag of food spoils on him, had failed. He had gone through the trip wire, but jumped out of the way the moment the bag began to fall.

At the moment, however, all thoughts of pranks seemed to be gone from the twins' minds. They were so excited about something that Legolas couldn't even make out what it was.

"What is going on?" Legolas finally yelled when all he could get from them was excited babble.

"Grandpa's coming!" Elladan exclaimed, jumping up and down on Legolas' bed.

"From where?" Legolas asked, thinking hard. He knew he had heard something about their grandparents. Something about them being important.

"From Lorien! Grandpa Celeborn is coming from Lothlorien!" Elrohir said, also jumping up and down.

The Lord of Lorien? Why? That worried Legolas, unlike the twins. He reasoned that if Lord Celeborn was coming here, then it must be something his father couldn't handle. But these worries, no matter how much they showed on his face, were lost on the two half-elves.

"Elladan, Elrohir." Erestor came in, and sighed. "You're going to flatten out the Prince's bed if you keep that up." They stopped. "Lord Celeborn is here."

The twins immediately dashed out of the room, leaving Legolas and Erestor behind. They followed at a more sedate pace. Greetings were already underway when they arrived.

Elladan and Elrohir immediately attached themselves to Celeborn's legs as soon as he dismounted from his horse.

"What have we here? Beggers?" He laughed at their wide-eyed faces.

"Did you bring us something?" They asked at once. Elrond, from the side, sighed and shook his head. Celeborn only smiled.

"Maybe I did." They both beamed. "And maybe I didn't." Their faces fell.

While everyone was otherwise occupied, Legolas crept up behind his father to watch. He wasn't expecting it when the King scooped him up and brought him forward.

"This is the boy, Celeborn." Thranduil said, and grinned when he immediately tried to hide in the folds of his tunic.

"Hello, Legolas." The Lord of Lorien greeted, and Legolas peeked out at him.

"Hello…" He answered hesitantly. The older elf smiled and grabbed the elfling from his father.

"Now is that any way to greet me when I've come all this way?" He asked, and Legolas blushed. He laughed, and reached down to include the twins.

"Let us continue this inside." Thranduil suggested. He led the way.

Celeborn had not come by himself. He had brought with him five of his best soldiers. Some might say that that wasn't much, but when you considered the skill of the Galadhrim, and the skill of the Lord himself, five was plenty. They could have easily beaten a company of orcs. One of those soldiers was Haldir, who walked beside him. He was Celeborn's Marchwarden normally, but being his most skilled warrior, he had been selected as a guard.

They walked along in apparent silence, but in truth, Celeborn, Elrond, and Thranduil were deep in conversation.

_:What does Legolas have to do with this? He wasn't nearby when the twins were attacked.:_ Elrond was confused, though that wasn't abnormal when around the Lord of Lorien.

_:It would take too long to explain, and then you may not understand it anyway. It was something that I saw in my wife's mirror. Whatever is going to happen here will involve Legolas along with the twins.:_ Celeborn replied.

_:Let us just hope that whatever it is, it will be possible not to involve the children.:_ Thranduil said. They all agreed.

_:I want to search their minds, and see if I can get anything from them aside from "monster." They may have traces of dark magic. Please allow me to do so on my own.:_ Thranduil and Elrond hesitantly agreed, since neither of them had left their children without at least two eyes on them since the incident.

"I think I may have brought the three of you something. Why don't you help me find it?" Upon hearing this, Legolas immediately lost his shyness, and the twins were excited again.

"What? What?" They wanted to know. They didn't notice that their fathers didn't follow them when he came to a set of guestrooms. They also didn't notice that three of the soldiers, Haldir and his two brothers, did follow.

"What did you get us Grandpa?" Elrohir asked.

"I'll tell you after you take a nap." He told them as he sat down on a comfortable chair and gathered them all on his lap.

"But we aren't sleepy!" Elladan protested.

"Yes, you are." Celeborn said with a smile.

"Nu-uh!" Legolas said with a petulant face, but that was interrupted by a sudden yawn. Celeborn only chuckled as the twins followed suit. Within minutes they were fast asleep.

"They might be angry with you when they wake up." Haldir murmured from the side, grinning.

"Of course not. They won't have any idea that I put them to sleep." Celeborn said but smiled. "Now, if the three of you will each pick an elfling, I can get this done before they wake up."

Rumil and Orophin carefully picked up the twins and settled them on their laps, and Haldir did the same with Legolas.

After a moment, Celeborn leaned forward and looked carefully at the Prince of Mirkwood. He frowned slightly as he went into what seemed to be a trance. After a few moments, he looked up.

"Anything?" The Marchwarden asked.

"No, but I don't doubt what the mirror showed me. Whatever involvement he has, it obviously hasn't happened yet." After similarly checking the minds of Elladan and Elrohir, he found some very interesting information.

"It seems that the 'monster' they saw was only an illusion, and what's more, whoever did it, is in the palace." Haldir had to remind himself not to give in to his instincts and jump up. The little Prince may not appreciate being woken up by being dropped.

"Someone hiding?" He asked instead.

"Yes and no. Whoever it is, they are certainly hiding behind a false personality, but if you mean literally, no. The security of this place is too tight to allow anyone to sneak around." Celeborn sighed and rubbed his temples. "Please keep the children until I get back."

"Where are you going?" Rumil asked.

"I must discuss this with Elrond and Thranduil. We must uncover this person who hides in plain sight."

* * *

A/N: …FLYING RUBBER MOLES… carried off in a straight jacket 


	12. An Unforseen Change

Chapter 11:  
An Unforeseen Change

* * *

Arminas, long since out of bed and healthy, strode down the hall. He had the same self-assured look as he usually had. Inwardly, however, that was not the case. His master was angry, and even a bit nervous. The lord Celeborn was known, even to him, as an elf-lord of great power. He was a member of that most hated White Council, and he was most certainly a threat.

That meant that his master was very short of temper, and he often took his frustrations out on his poor helpless servant. So Arminas was healthy now, but that could swiftly change.

Despite the threat of elf-lords and woodland kings, he still seemed concerned about that little whelp Legolas. Something he had found out through foresight? Perhaps. He wasn't sure if his master had foresight, but it was a possibility.

"Arminis?" A voice startled him from behind, but the councilor did not show it. He turned around slowly, gazing down at what had been quite an annoyance since his arrival. It was Thranduil's young son. Arminas stopped himself from snapping at the youngster for mispronouncing his name.

"What is it?" Arminas asked in a voice that he hoped sounded cool and clipped.

"Could you read me my bed time story?" The elfling asked, as if this was something the councilor should be used to. As for himself, Arminas had to make sure he had heard right.

"You want to what?" He asked, slightly stunned.

"I want you to read me my bed time story. Ada is in the throne room with the lords, and Elladan and Elrohir are already asleep." Oddly enough, Arminas' heart almost broke at the look of complete and total innocence on Legolas' face. It was simple child logic. Obviously since his father was occupied, Legolas had every right to expect his councilor to do it in his place. The temper and annoyance he had always felt with the prince evaporated at that simple request. He reminded him so much of… best not to think about that now.

Desperately, the older elf tried to tell himself that he was the servant of an evil master, and also the enemy of this little child. Yet, that part of him that still retained his last shred of free will reminded him that he could still appreciate such small luxuries as reading to a youngling. It had been so long, after all.

Legolas, for his part, looked utterly confused. The internal battle was rather obvious even to him, and he couldn't figure out why he should need more then a second to agree.

"Alright." The councilor said, still dazed. This, however, was completely lost on Legolas who then cheerfully proceeded to lead Arminas to his room by the hand.

"A tower?" Celeborn asked, interested.

"A tower." Thranduil replied, puzzled as to where this was going.

"Did your people ever build a tower?" The lord of Lorien asked. Thranduil shook his head. Celeborn looked troubled at this. Unless the councilor in question—  
Arminas, wasn't that his name? —had been delusional at the time, someone had raised a tower in the southern part of Mirkwood. Considering the shadows that were spreading from that direction, it had obviously not been built with good intentions.

"A company should be sent out to inspect this." Celeborn said, and Elrond nodded in agreement. The king, however, immediately protested.

"Absolutely not. I will not let what happened to the last company I send there happen again." He said decisively. "Arminas was very lucky to escape with his life, but I will not trust in luck. I will not send another company to their doom."

"Yes, the councilor was very lucky indeed." Celeborn said suddenly, thoughtfully.

"Do you plan to let whatever dark power is sitting in that tower remain, without opposition?" Elrond inquired of the king.

"No, of course I don't. But what am I to do? I can't send an army, hoping that they will come back. We have enough trouble around us as it is, and if they don't return we will be defenseless." Celeborn remained silent for a moment. Finally, he spoke.

"I would like to speak with this Arminas myself, if you please." He said.

"If you can think of no other way to find a clue, then I suppose we must. I will find him." He rose from the chair. They were sitting around a table situated at the corner of the throne room. Before he could turn towards the door, a messenger burst in.

"King Thranduil! Mithrandir has just arrived!" The young elf blurted out.

"The wizard? Has he said why?" Elrond asked, looking as surprised as the other two lords did.

"No, he only said that I should find you as quickly as I could!" The messenger was out of breath.

"Have him brought here immediately." The king ordered, and the messenger bowed before taking off down the hall once again. He looked to the other two lords. They were as confused as he was.

"…then Feanor caused fire to be set…" Arminas peaked down at the elfling cuddled in his lap and smiled. A real smile, the like of which he had not given in a long time. Somehow, Legolas had fallen asleep while he was reading about the rebellion of the Noldor. It was hardly a fitting bedtime story, but the youngling had insisted.

He wanted to sit there for a while and let the elfling sleep on his lap. But the fear that his master would summon him without warning (as was usually the case) dashed those plans. He didn't want his master to discover the elflings' obvious trust in him. It was a treacherous thought, wanting to keep something from his master, but it was there. He couldn't bring himself to put Legolas in more danger then he had already.

Arminas rose with the elfling in his arms and put him in his bed. He took only a moment to tuck him in, then headed for the door. As he exited and closed it behind him, an insidious voice spoke in his mind.

_:Very good, my slave. The child trusts you.:_ Arminas froze. _No._ His master had been observing him the entire time. Panicked, he tried to block out the voice. A dark laugh rumbled in his mind.

_:You should know by now that you can keep nothing from me. You will use this newfound trust to MY advantage, slave. You have not the power to resist me.:_

Arminas heard this just before he collapsed onto the floor with a terrible pounding headache. _No,_ was his last thought before passing out, _I will not hurt him!_

* * *

A/N: Review!


	13. Arminas' Battle

Chapter 12:  
Arminas' Battle

* * *

_No, I can't hurt him._ Arminas thought for the hundredth time. He now lay on his own bed, curled into a ball, trying to block out his master's insidious voice.

_:You read him one bedtime story and you've lost your nerve? How weak. How PATHEDIC:_ It came through none-the-less, taunting and mocking.

What made it worst was that it was true. How could he go soft after something as small as reading? What was it about this elfling that completely disarmed him?

_:There is nothing about the stupid spawn of Thranduil. You are a weakling. Any elfling brat could make you go soft. Why? Do you see your own little brat in them:_ The dark voice dripped with disdain._ :Do you remember how weak he was? How easily he fell to the least of my minions:_

_HE WAS NOT WEAK!_ Arminas mentally screamed at that most hated voice. He had never been weak, not even on the day of his birth! He had always been strong, stronger even then his father…

flashback

"You worry too much, father!" Tathar laughed, taking a few practice swings with his new sword. The blade caught a sunbeam as it cut the air.

Arminas felt his spirits lift slightly. Tathar always had that effect when he laughed, bringing light to the most grievous situations. Even when his mother's lifeless body had been cut down from a spider's web, he had recovered quickly and saved his father from grieving himself to death. He had laughed and said that she was looking down on them and sighing in exasperation at how ridicules they were being.

"You are still too young for a battle." Arminas made a half-hearted attempt at arguing. It really was no use. Tathar was the undisputed king of stubborn will and argument.

"We're not going into a battle." He reminded his fretting father, continuing to test out his sword.

"It is starting to look more and more like we are." Arminas said, staring off into the thick woods. Tathar only laughed again, shaking his golden head.

Tathar had always resembled his father in many ways. Both shared the same deep green eye color, stubborn chin, and fine raised cheekbones. But unlike his father, Tathar had a head full of golden blonde hair instead of dark brown. He had reached an age that he was permitted to become a soldier. Eager for the opportunity to fight with his father, Tathar had volunteered for this journey soon after Arminas had. Torn between paternal protectiveness and loyalty to Mirkwood, the older elf had reluctantly promised his son that he would not unvolunteer for his sake.

The party had left King Thranduil's caves only a few hours before, traveling southeast. They were headed to the place in Mirkwood where shadows were the deepest and the trees grew the thickest. It was believed that the spiders and all of the other evil creatures plaguing Mirkwood had come from there. These elves were not there to fight. They were spies. But the more Arminas thought about it, the more likely it seemed that they would be spotted and possibly be forced to fight for their lives.

As the weeks past, the small party found that the further they traveled into the forest, the thicker the trees grew and the shorter the days seemed. Soon, they were traveling in what seemed to be an endless night. Birds and other good creatures were left far behind, never daring to venture into this place of deepest shadows.

A rustle, coming from somewhere beyond their sight, caused the small group to stop suddenly. No one breathed. Another rustle, this time closer. A hissing sound was heard in the trees above them, then everything fell silent.

Arminas peeked out of his sparse cover of branches and leaves. Nothing. They stayed in their positions for at least an hour, waiting for something to spring out at them. Yet, nothing did. Signaling for the rest of the party to follow, Mahtan, the leader of the group, crept out of his own hiding place.

They traveled on for a few hours, tense and nervous as what little sunlight they received in this overgrown part of the forest faded. That was strange, since it was only noon. It meant they were getting very close to the source of the shadows.

Tathar was defiantly the most nervous, all of his previous enthusiasm worn off. He made it a point to stay right next to his father. That was fine, since Arminas would have been angry if he had done otherwise.

He shouldn't be here… The older elf thought guiltily. He should have insisted that he be left at home! He should have made him stay! Well, no help for it now.

"Look!" One of the other elves whispered urgently.

They had just come to the edge of what had at first looked like a natural glade. Upon closer inspection, they realized there was nothing natural about it. Trees had been cleared out, making what seemed to be an enormous perfect circle in the forest. The trees just ended suddenly, giving way to a patch of barren land that allowed nothing to grow. Bones littered the useless dust, from both wild animals and things that walked on two legs. In the center of this circle of death stood a tower. Hideous statues circled the place, spikes and sharp edges everywhere else. It 0was made of some kind of smooth black stone. Despite the large break in the trees, hardly any sunlight could get through. An unnatural darkness hung over the place.

"Eru…" Another elf whispered, astonished.

A war cry, coming from the throat of some fell creature, snapped everyone out of his or her shocked immobility. Swords were drawn and the elves turned back the way they had come. Instead of the tower, they were being attacked from behind. In no time at all, the harsh voices of orcs could be easily discerned.

Looking out of the corner of his eye, Arminas could see his son shaking. Stepping protectively in front of him, he brandished his sword at the approaching orcs. They were hopelessly outnumbered. The sound of metal on metal rang out. There were only ten of them, and three went down immediately. The harsh grunts and screams of the orcs drowned their dying cries out. Arminas fought on, but to his horror, realized that he and his son had been separated. Searching around franticly, he found him just in time to watch a crude sword pass through him.

Screaming in rage and grief, Arminas rushed to his side, slaughtering the orc responsible and many others who took its place. One orc was not content to die without doing some damage. As it fell to the ground, it raised it's sword one last time to chop at Arminas' shoulder. It was not a fatal wound, but it was enough to knock him to the ground next to his son. Believing him dead, the other orcs turned their attention back to the few elves who still remained standing.

"Father…" Came a weak voice. Arminas ignored the agony in his left shoulder to sit up as much as he could. Tathar's blood pooled about him, and his face was contorted in pain.

"Oh God, Tathar." Arminas said brokenly, seeing that the wound was fatal. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

His son, his brave son, smiled for the last time, and he even managed a small laugh.

"Don't be…" But that was all he said. His labored breathing stopped and his eyes closed. Wanting to scream, but unable to, Arminas' last sight before he passed out was of Tathar's face, as peaceful as if he was sleeping.

End Flashback

Arminas' eyes flew open to meet the ceiling of his room. Tears, which still rolled down his face, stained the pillow. He turned over and buried his face in the damp pillow, suppressing the urge to kill something in his anger. Anger gave way to the sobbing of someone without hope or comfort.

_Tathar. My poor, brave son._

* * *

A/N: I was writing that chapter on and off for about a week. Several boughts of depression, as you can imagine. Please review!


	14. Secrets Revealed

Chapter 13:  
Secrets Revealed

* * *

(This note might be kind of long, but the chapter is posted under it)

Dear Readers,

This September I will be going to college. More specifically, a Christian college. Don't let this scare you, I'm not planning on discontinuing my stories. Here's the thing: I'm going to have a computer, but the only Internet aloud is the one provided by the college itself. That means, there will be a filter.  
I'm not sure if I will be able to log onto FF.N with those filters. As you can imagine, many stories on this site are not acceptable reading material for a Christian. Since they have much better things to do then read some 10,000 stories individually and block those that are not appropriate, I'm 95 sure that this entire site will be filtered out. That means that I will have to do what writing I can on the word processor, and then wait until a school break to post them at home.  
I'm really sorry if this happens, but I respect the college's wishes. Also realize that, besides the fact that I'm just a really slow writer, (--) my studies come first (but most of you probably knew that already). Again, I'm sorry. Thanks to all those who have supported me and my slow-moving stories, and I hope that I will be able to update more regularly then I have been.

-Mandy

* * *

Arminas awoke with a start. Someone was pounding on his door, making the pounding in his head even worst.

"A moment!" He shouted harshly. The knocking stopped. He stalked over to the basin on his table, quickly washing away the evidence of his tears. Then, gathering his dignity, he went to the door and opened it. A young elf stood outside, his blonde hair in disarray from running. He shrank back at the councilor's cold look.

"Well? What is it?" He asked impatiently.

"K-King Thranduil, Lord Celeborn, and Mithrandir wish to see you in the council chamber at once." The youngster said, taking a step back.

"Fine." He answered irritably.

Arminas wasn't ready to deal with this. Why did the King and the Lord Celeborn choose the worst possible times to call on him? For that matter, when had Mithrandir gotten here? He pondered this has he made his way down the torch lit stone hallway. He did not look his best. He had dark circles around his eyes, his hair was less then perfect, and he just looked tired.

He sighed. There was not time to make himself presentable, and the King was already worried about his health. This would not improve matters.

When he arrived at the intricately carved oak doors that separated the council chamber from the hallway, he stopped. There was nothing he could do about his appearance, and he hoped the Lords would not think it suspicious. He could just say he was having nightmares (which wasn't that far from the truth) and claim he hadn't gotten much sleep because of them.

He took a moment to pat at his hair futilely, then opened the door and walked in with as much composure as he could muster. The talking that had been going on stopped abruptly at his entrance. Arminas took a moment to look around at those present.

Lord Celeborn, Lord Elrond, and King Thranduil were all seated at the large round table that took up most of the room. Mithrandir, an old man with a long graybeard, gray robs, and a wooden staff, was sitting in a chair against the wall. He looked even more tired then the councilor. That was strange.

Arminas had only seen the wizard a time or two, but when he had, the old man had seemed relentlessly energetic (if not exactly cheerful) and constantly busy. To see him looking worn out made him worry. Then again, maybe it would take some of the attention off of his own appearance.

"You wished to see me, my lords?" He asked with a polite bow.

"Arminas… are you alright?" King Thranduil asked, voice heavy with concern. No such luck.

"I have not been sleeping well, is all." He said, trying not to look too tired. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to say 'nightmares.' It would sound so childish. "Nothing to worry about, my lord."

The King seemed unconvinced, but sighed. He stood and pulled out a chair, an obvious order for him to sit. Unfortunately, the chair was situated right between Elrond and Celeborn. Arminas sat down reluctantly, wondering with annoyance if the King was purposely making him as uncomfortable as possible. There was a moment of silence, and all attention was focused on the councilor.

_This does not bode well,_ Arminas thought, with a sense of dread. Mithrandir stood up and took the chair right across from him. _No, this does not bode well at all._ What did they want?

"Arminas," The wizard began, a note of reluctance in his voice. "I wish to ask you about something that you may find very hard to talk about." He began. Arminas immediately knew where this was going. He would not discuss this with them!

The councilor jumped up, fully intending to bolt. They must have guessed that he would do that because Elrond and Celeborn immediately grabbed him by the arms and pulled him back into his seat.

"Now Arminas, this is very important." The King said, not at all happy about having to force the other elf into this situation.

"I know that you do not wish to remember, but you must tell us what you can remember about what happened to you and the other members of the spying party." The old man said. "We must know everything we can if the White Council is to defeat it."

The White Council? They're bringing the White Council into this? Yet another piece of information he would have to report to his master, he thought with dread.

"A-a-after the r-rest of the party w-w-was killed, a-all I r-r-remember was th-that I s-started c-c-crawling away." Arminas cursed that weak stutter.

"You crawled all the way back to the palace?" Mithrandir asked.

"I d-d-don't r-remember." The poor elf was shaking now.

_:Elrond:_

_:He is lying.:_

_:Are you sure it isn't just a repressed memory:_

_:Positive.:_

"What happened before you found yourself back at the palace?" Elrond asked, torn between feeling sorry for this elf who had suffered so much and suspicion that he felt the need to lie. It could have been that he simply did not want to talk about it. But it could be something more insidious.

"I d-d-don't r-r-r-remember!" The stuttering was growing worst and Arminas was beginning to panic.

"Did someone take you inside the tower?" Mithrandir said, obviously not believing that he didn't remember.

"N-n-n-no!"

_:He's lying.:_

"Did the master of the tower torment you?" The wizard asked. By now, Elrond and Celeborn had to hold the panicked councilor to the chair and keep him from pushing it back.

"N-n-n-n-no!" He could hardly get the word out. He was almost having a seizure and his vision was beginning the blur

_:He's lying. Get to the point before he passes out.:_

"Did the creature in that tower send you to spy on the King and his subjects?" Mithrandir finally asked the question he had been dreading to hear.

_:HE CAN TELL WHEN YOU ARE LYING, YOU FOOL! DO NOT ANSWER THEM:_ His master's voice screamed at him, causing his head to feel like it was being slit in two.

_I have to tell them!_ His own mind screamed._ I have end this before…_ A picture of Legolas, holding that book in the hallway, sprang up. _…before he kills him! Like he killed Tathar!_

He fought that dark presence in his mind like he had fought it at the beginning. When he had been beneath that tower, in agony in the dungeon. But this time he didn't seem to be alone. Someone else was fighting it as well.

"H-h-h-he c-c-calls h-himself th-the N-n-n-n-necromancer." That was all Arminas could say before the agony in his head became too much and everything went black.

* * *

A/N: It's time I stopped making excuses and admitted that I AM A SLOW WRITER! Unless I have constant bursts of inspiration (which don't come around all that often, and they usually happen when I have first started writing a story rather then in the middle) I update slowly. Sorry, but that's just the way I am. I do try, and since I've made you wait so long, I'm going to push myself into writing another chapter right now. Then I've got to work on "Quest of the Mary-Sue" and it's 12:40 at night. CHARGE!


	15. The Beginning of Healing

Chapter 14:  
The Beginning of Healing

* * *

Arminas woke up to find himself laying in his own bed. Was that just a dream? He blinked, clearing his eyes, as he thought. It occurred to him, suddenly, that something was missing. Something that had been with him a long time…

His whole body convulsed when he realized what it was. That dark presence that had lurked in the back of his mind for the longest time (or so it seemed), was gone. Not a shadow of it remained.

He sat up now, relieved when it didn't result in renewed pain to his head. The door to his room opened, and he turned, expecting to see the King and his guests. It was Legolas. The elfling was holding a piece of paper in his hands.

There were guards outside the door, but strangely enough, they didn't seem worried about leaving the prince alone in the room with him as he closed the door.

"Ada said that you went to sleep in the council room 'cause you didn't feel good." Legolas said, scrambling onto the bed. Arminas repressed the urge to laugh. Didn't feel good? That was certainly an understatement.

"Do you feel better now?" The elfling asked, looking up at him with those big eyes.

"Yes, I do." The councilor answered, smiling fondly.

"I drew a picture for you. Ada said it would make you feel better." He presented him with a very colorful piece of parchment. On it was a drawing of three people. One of them was the elfling himself, standing between what looked to be his father (a brown squiggle in his hand must be his staff) and another adult.

"That's you. You got a book." Legolas pointed to the other adult, who held a smaller, purple scrawl in one of its 'hands.' Arminas smiled wider. Tathar had made countless pictures, which he had presented to him mother and father, along with any other adult he knew. The picture was completed with a green line to symbolize the ground, a blue line to represent the sky, and a lopsided sun with yellow sticks poking out of it.

"Thank you, Legolas." Arminas said, truly touched.

"You're welcome. Ada said to go to the…" He trailed off, thinking hard. "He said to go to the… something when you feel better."

"The throne room?"

"No…"

"The Council Chamber?"

"No… Oh! He said to go to his room!" Legolas looked very proud of himself for managing to deliver the message.

"Alright. Thank you." He got up and looked down at himself. He was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing before, and they were wrinkled. His hair one tangled mess, and when he looked in the mirror, he saw that he still had circles under his eyes.

It was an informal meeting if it was going to take place in the King's chambers, and after his… performance in the council chamber, he didn't think that they would care how he looked. And he just didn't feel like changing, nor did he care at the moment who saw him like this.

"I'm 'spost to take you there so you don't fall asleep again." That said, he grabbed the councilor's hand and proceeded to lead him to the King's chamber, for all the world as if he didn't know the way himself. Arminas wasn't complaining.

King Thranduil smothered a laugh at the sight in the doorway. Arminas, far from looking his best, was being led by the hand into the room by Legolas, who looked very pleased with himself.

"He didn't fall asleep again." The elfling announced importantly.

"Thank you, Legolas." Elrond said, seeing as Thranduil could hardly keep from laughing, much less talk. "Why don't you go see if Elladan and Elrohir are up to something?" He suggested.

The councilor sat down on a comfortable chair as Legolas exited, closing the door behind him.

"So it isn't… permanent." Arminas said, his heart sinking.

"Not at the moment. It will take time, but as long as you stay away from that tower and the necromancer, you should have nothing to fear." Thranduil said. Arminas laughed bitterly.

"There is nothing you could do that would convince me to go near it." He said, rubbing at his eyes for the umpteenth time.

"Aside from the name, do you know anything else about the necromancer?" Elrond asked.

"He is planning to overthrow Mirkwood, using spiders and orcs. Though, I think his ultimate goal goes beyond Mirkwood." He suddenly remembered something. "Where is Mithrandir?"

"He… has chosen to inspect this tower for himself. Lord Celeborn has gone to inform the White Council." Elrond said.

"I hope the wizard knows what he's doing." The councilor murmured with a shudder.

* * *

A/N: Finally! The story is getting somewhere! Also, when I have finished writing this story, I will write small explanations for some of the characters and why they acted the way they did. This is in response to some very good questions that were put forward.


End file.
